Few foods boast the simplicity and decadence of cheese, making it a perfect food for easy entertaining. We asked Laura Werlin, author of Cheese Essentials: An Insider's Guide to Buying and Serving Cheese, for some advice on entertaining with cheese and tips for serving this festive favorite.

It's easy to get stuck in the standard cheese-platter rut. Any tips for incorporating more variety? Choose a cheese that is similar—but not identical—to the ones that you like. If you enjoy goat cheese, try Gouda. Instead of Brie, try Explorateur, a triple-cream cheese that's a real crowd-pleaser.

Jazz up your cheese platter with a wide variety of accompaniments. Spanish Marcona almonds or other toasted nuts partner well with blue cheese. Goat and other fresh-style cheeses go well with vinegary, acidic flavors like tomatoes or olives. You can also go sweet and serve apple butter with cheddar, or dress up blue cheese with a drizzle of honey.

Serve fresh apple slices with any cheese. They give it a brighter taste and help cleanse the palate between bites.

What are some intriguing cheeses that are often overlooked? People tend to shy away from stronger cheeses because of their aroma, but usually the flavor is not as strong as the smell. Taleggio and Red Hawk are both stronger cheeses whose flavors aren't overwhelming.

The holidays are a great time to experiment with some of the more expensive varieties. Try triple-cream or seasonal cheeses, such as Stilton or Vacherin Mont d'Or. Vacherin is sold only from November to February, and it is a highly prized cheese with a luscious, decadent, magnificent flavor. It's so creamy you're usually best off serving it with a spoon. You could also serve Comté, a French cheese made in the Alps with a nutty, buttery flavor—very wintry.

If you don't have a good cheese shop in your town, where can you buy artisanal cheese? Ordering cheese over the Internet can be expensive, but it comes right to your door and it usually arrives in good shape. Igourmet.com is a good resource and it's pretty reasonably priced.

Some cheese makers and shops have mail order, too, like Murray's Cheese in New York, Zingerman's in Michigan, and Cowgirl Creamery in California. And don't forget the supermarket; many, especially natural-foods stores like Whole Foods Market, are increasing their selections.

How much cheese do you need to feed your guests? If you're serving it as an appetizer before dinner, plan on about an ounce of each cheese per person. If cheese is all you're serving for a cocktail party, step it up to two ounces of each cheese per person.

Are there any general rules for pairing cheese with wine? The holidays are festive, so break out the bubbly. Sparkling wines pair well with salty, creamy cheeses, such as mascarpone or Explorateur.

With harder cheeses, you can serve white or red, but make sure that your reds are lighter-bodied, like Pinot Noir. Cheese tends to bring out the tannins in red wine, so I would stay away from heavier, already tannic wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. If a cheese is served with something sweet like apples or drizzled honey, a dessert wine, such as Sauternes or ice wine, would be the way to go.

What about serving cheese with dessert? Most fruit pies lend themselves to a slice of cheese, like apple pie can be served with a wedge of cheddar. Or you could add a few crumbles of feta to a winter fruit salad of apples, pears, and citrus. The salt is a great contrast to the sweetness of the fruit.

How should cheese be served? Serve cheese at room temperature, so take it out at least one hour before serving. Creamier cheeses like Brie need no more than an hour.

Another thing to consider is placement. Arrange cheeses from mildest to strongest, so guests get the full flavor of the milder cheeses before their palates are overwhelmed by stronger varieties. You may even consider using a separate plate for blue or washed-rind cheeses.

Any tips regarding cheese etiquette? Each cheese should be served with its own knife, so you don't mix flavors. And if the cheese is cut up before serving, it should be shaped into triangles rather than squares or cubes.

For cheese with a rind, guests should cut a serving and eat from their plate, placing the rind to the side of the plate. They should not dig out the center of the cheese from the platter.

If the cheese is served melted, like a fondue, no double-dipping—just dollop the cheese on your bread or plate and move on. But don't feel self-conscious about eating cheese with your fingers once it's in your possession.